Coast Guard repatriates 65 Cuban migrants

MIAMI — Sixty-five Cuban migrants aboard the Coast Guard Cutters William Trump and Raymond Evans were repatriated to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba over the last five days.

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter William Trump repatriated seven Cuban migrants Tuesday. This repatriation is a result of two separate migrant interdictions at sea in the south Florida Straits.

Fifty-eight Cuban migrants were repatriated on Saturday by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Raymond Evans. This repatriation was the result of four separate migrant interdictions at sea in the South Florida Straits in a span of a week.

The William Trump, along with numerous other Coast Guard patrol boats and aircraft, aggressively patrol the Florida Straits to detect and deter illegal and unsafe maritime migration. Safety of life at sea is always the Coast Guard’s top priority.

These events were Cubans trying to illegally enter the United States on unseaworthy vessels commonly called “rustics” or “chugs.” In these instances, the Coast Guard not only helped secure the U.S. border, but they also prevented these perilous sea voyages from ending in tragedy.

“The Coast Guard continues to strongly discourage attempts to illegally enter the country by taking to the sea,” said Capt. Mark Fedor, Coast Guard 7th District Chief of Enforcement. “These trips are extremely dangerous and could lead to loss of life. Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, we will seek to quickly repatriate illegal migrants to their respective countries.”

Since Oct. 1, the Coast Guard 7th District estimates that 3,611 Cubans have attempted to illegally migrate via the sea. These numbers represent the total amount of at-sea interdictions, landings and disruptions in the Florida Straits, the Caribbean and Atlantic.

For more information on how to legally immigrate to the U.S., call U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) at 1-800-375-5283 or visit the USCIS website atwww.uscis.gov.